Count de Martel
Count de Martel was a character who appeared in the first episode in the third season of . He was the father of the Lord Tristan de Martel and Lady Aurora de Martel, who were both eventually turned into vampires by Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson, respectively. He was also the Count of Marseilles in Southern France during the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Early History Virtually nothing is known about his early life, but it is safe to say that since he lived in France in the Middle Ages, his father was likely the Count of Marseilles before him, and, following his father's death, he inherited the title, as well as his father's lands. In the year 1002, he sent one of his servants, Lucien, to fetch the Count de Guise. However, the Count de Guise and his family were fed on and killed by the Mikaelson siblings, who were hungry and came upon them on the road while Lucien was bringing them back to the Marseilles court as instructed. Lucien, desperate not to be drained of his blood like the de Guises, overheard the Mikaelsons considering taking on the identities of those they had just killed and decided to help them blend into noble society at court in exchange for his life, since he had surmised that they were on the run from someone dangerous. He then brought the five Mikaelsons back to the Court of Marseilles, where he presented the Original vampires to the Count de Martel under the aliases of the Count de Guise's children. The Count de Martel was suspicious at first, since Count de Guise never told him he had any children, but Elijah intervened and quickly made up a story about his father's travels and emotional distance, claiming that they were all raised by servants. Rebekah then bowed deeply in deference to the Count, giving him healthy glimpse at her bosom, which pleased him enough to believe their story without question. The Count welcomed the "de Guise" children to the Marseilles court and allowed them to stay at the castle as his guests. However, after many months of the Mikaelsons hiding in plain sight among the noble class of the Court of Marseilles, rumors began to spread of demons who fed on human blood ravaging the nearby villages, especially after Lucien and Aurora were inadvertently sired by Klaus and Rebekah, and the number of vampires living at court increased to seven. Fearful that their father Mikael, who had been hunting them since they fled the New World, would hear the rumors and inevitably find them, Elijah and Finn insisted that the siblings must leave. Before they did, however, Elijah sired the Count's son, Tristan, and used his newly-learned skill of mind compulsion to make Tristan, Aurora, and Lucien believe that they were Elijah, Rebekah, and Niklaus before also compelling them to flee the castle in the opposite direction as the rest of them, causing Mikael to chase after them instead. The fate of the Count de Martel after his children, his servant, and the Mikaelsons fled the court remain unknown as of now. Personality According to Lucien, the Count was a cruel drunkard who tormented his minions for sport, a personality trait that would have passed onto his son Tristan as well. Lucien also described the Count as a cold-blooded person who often mistreated those below him, from beggars who sought supper to vassals who could not pay a debt, like Lucien's own father. He even went so far as to say that the Count and his equals were even more monstrous than the Original vampires who were hiding in his court. Physical Appearance He had a tall stature and medium build. He wore green and gold clothing, with a small gold crown with a emerald jewel in the middle. He had medium length light blond hair, beard and mustache, and had green eyes. Appearances Season Three *''For the Next Millennium'' (Flashback) *''I'll See You in Hell or New Orleans'' (Mentioned) Name *His first name is not known. *'Martel' is one of Britain and France's most famous and historic surnames. It derives from the French word "martel" meaning "hammer".http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Martel Trivia *The Count was described as a slaver and a killer who was hiding his true self behind his silks and his jewels. *Lucien informed the Mikaelsons that the Count enjoyed hunting and loved his horse and his hounds. *The Count also relished a healthy cleavage, so Rebekah had to bow very deep when she was presented to him in order to help win him over. *The Count's wife died giving birth to his only daughter, Aurora, who has blamed herself for her mother's death for the duration of her eternal life. *The Count's only son, Tristan, is very much like him, and while he was human, he flaunted his father's position to gain power over others. When Klaus and Elijah found Tristan brutally whipping Lucien in punishment for fraternizing with his sister Aurora, Tristan told them that, as the son of the Count, he could discipline staff as he see fit. *The Count was the first nobleman out of many that the Mikaelsons deceived when they returned to Europe. It was also presumably the time spent hiding in the Count's court and learning their customs that allowed the Mikaelsons to continue to live as convincing noblemen even after fleeing Marseilles, such as when they lived in Italy in the 12th century and in England and Denmark in the 15th century. *With confirmation that human souls are found in the dimensions, he either found peace or went to Hell. References See also Category:Characters Category:The Originals Characters Category:The Originals Season Three Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Minor Characters Category:De Martel Family Category:Humans Category:Deceased